Once outside, Dana found herself caught between John and Nathan, a place she didn't want to flee. Although she did want to strip in an attempt to cool down. With an alpha on one side and a man who could have been alpha had but ended up beta on the other, they formed an impressive wall of male flesh. As they strode with her through the vastly changed compound, their bodies brushed hers-a hard thigh against her hip, a hand to guide in the middle of her back or on her waist, the occasional whisper in her ear that tickled. Talk about a smorgasbord of sensations. Within an hour, her body aroused, her nerves shot, she seesawed between an urge to scream and ripping off her clothes in an open invitation to claim her. Her mind leaned toward the second scenario, which wetted her panties even further. She controlled herself-barely. She tried to focus on what they showed her, from the solar panels and wind turbines that provided all their electrical needs to the composting and garden areas.
Nathan's heart stuttered at her declaration. Is she finally ready to let me claim her? "You go after her. I'll meet you back at the house," John said. "Good luck." "Thanks, man." Nathan gave his friend a respectful nod but didn't linger. He had a feisty woman to catch. Mine. Nathan took off after Dana and had to work to keep up because she ran like the wind even on two legs. She gave no warning about her intention to shift. One moment, she sprinted. The next, clothing burst from her in tatters, and a golden wolf went bounding off into the woods that were a part of the compound. Damn, she's gotten fucking good at shifting. Considering she'd lived alone for the last twelve years, she'd mastered her wolf side better than those who'd lived with it a lifetime. Nathan followed suit, his clothes shredding as his muscles thickened and his bones reshaped. He landed on four paws, his senses even more acute, and continued to give chase. He thanked the fact that they were f
Dana ran up the stairs to her room, her brave immodesty of moments ago a sham to drive Nathan wild. And it had worked. Twelve years of abstinence had turned her into an instant wanton it seemed. Now that her sexual floodgates had opened, she couldn't seem to stop the flow of emotions and desires swamping her. Nor did she want to. How she'd survived all those years in her sterile, lonely world she didn't know. She did, however, realize she could never go back, not if she ever wanted to find happiness. And she had three men to thank for that, John with his calming presence and fleeting touches, Kody with his ribald humor and bold flirtation, and Nathan with his dominating presence and touch. Just remembering the way he'd pleasured her out in the open made her nipples tighten and her sex flood with moisture. What a shame about the interruption. Seeing Nathan so aroused, because of her, made her want to go find him and drag him back to the room to continue what they had b
Kody shook his head at Nathan. "You are such a fucking idiot sometimes." Nathan glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I think he means that bragging about how you fucked a ton of women and telling Dana she should accept it because it was her fault crossed a line," John replied. Nathan scrubbed a hand through his hair. "What the hell else should I have done? Lied?" John shook his head in disbelief. Nathan's male arrogance sometimes knew no bounds. "You could have tried playing it down instead of flaunting it. Couldn't you see how hurt she was to find out?" "Dude, she is seriously upset," Kody added, peering with a frown in the direction of the stairs. "What do you both care?" Nathan growled. "You heard what she said. She doesn't want me anymore." Nathan poured himself some more wine and took a swig of it. "Give her time-" John started saying. Nathan threw his wineglass at the wall, where it shattered, spraying the red wine. "I'm
Dana cried into the pillow, her tears soaking the fabric. How could she not when she heard Nathan bellowing? A part of her ached to go to him, to clasp him in her arms and say all was forgiven. Another part of her feared that, by caving to him, he'd think nothing of hurting her again in the future. She covered her ears with her hands, unwilling to listen to his obvious anger and distress. A light touch on her shoulder made her thrash wildly, her flailing fists striking flesh. She rolled and opened her burning eyes, expecting to see Nathan, come to hunt her down and beg her forgiveness-or force it. Instead, she found herself wrapped in John's arms, his soothing presence a balm to her turmoil. Her tears flowed anew. He dragged her onto his lap as she sobbed, stroking her hair and rocking her as she wept for the twelve years of her life that she'd wasted running. Wept for the life she could have had if she'd only looked past her fears. Wept because she couldn't stem the pain t
Dana slept spooned with John-my mate-after making love a second time. Held in his protective embrace, the hum of their bond almost visible, she discovered inner peace. Even better, she'd lost her anger and hurt over Nathan's actions of the past. After talking with John, she could more clearly understand why Nathan had done it, and she regretted her jealous reaction of the previous day. Now here's to hoping he's not too pissed about me marking John first. Even if he was, she'd practice patience. They'd both hurt each other, and the time had arrived for it to stop. She loved Nathan, and he loved her. The past needed to be pushed aside in favor of the future, a bright future with her back in the heart of a pack and surrounded by love-both the mental and physical kind. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize John had woken until a firm poke against her backside announced his ready state. She wiggled against it. "Minx," he growled in her ear, tugging the lobe with his tee
Nathan groaned as he rolled in his bed, his head throbbing painfully from a hangover to end all hangovers, but even more strange, his jaw and face ached as well. What the fuck happened? Fragments came back to him: the fight with Dana-another fuck-up in his courtship of her. He'd owe her an apology for acting like such an ass, something he should have done the night before instead of sending John straight into her arms while he turned to drinking beer. Lots of it. He recalled deciding to get sloshed once he realized John and Dana were making love and then mated. A pang of hurt, tinged with some jealousy, hit him. He'd truly wanted to be first, but instead, he'd allowed his stubborn nature to send another man to her when she was vulnerable. The rest of the evening was a blur as he'd drowned his pain in alcohol. But it didn't explain his sore face. He rolled out of his bed, a bed he didn't remember staggering to, and stumbled over to a mirror. He let out a low whis
Sitting in a dark movie theater with a mate on one side and a man she planned to mate with on the other proved interesting. Make that titillating. Dana held the popcorn bucket on her lap, and every time they dug into the buttery box, she couldn't help wishing their hands were diving for a different snack. The darkness thankfully hid her blushes, but it couldn't stop her arousal. John draped an arm over her shoulder and bent to whisper, "Are you okay?" She turned toward him and leaned in close, but instead of speaking, she kissed him. His body went rigid for a moment before he kissed her back. When she moaned against his mouth, frustrated that he wasn't stripping her for more, he pulled back, his breathing ragged. "Behave. We're in public." Dana made a face at him and slumped in her seat. A hand brushed her thigh from the other side, and she peered sideways to see Kody watching the screen as his hand flattened itself on her thigh then began sliding her skir
Days laterÉ Thaddeus surveyed his demesne, a house he'd never really shared, until now. And now? Now the place was overrun with vampires and wolves. Had he lost his mind along his tumultuous journey? No, but he'd definitely lost his heart. Toni slid an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. Through their bond, her love for him warmed and filled his heart-and his cock. On her other side, Marc appeared, his stealthy abilities increasing daily with practice, enough that even Thaddeus found it difficult to spot him unless he cheated and used the thread that tied them together. "A penny for your thoughts," Toni murmured. He gave her the disgruntled truth. "How did I go from loner to this?" He gesticulated at the rescued wolves, a quad of them, sparring with Sasha in the courtyard. Toni laughed, the sound so sweet he'd kill anyone who dared threaten it. "You fell in love," she stated. He sighed. "That I did." "Do y
If someone would have told Toni watching two guys bite each other with her sandwiched between them would be one of the most intense moments of her life, she would have scoffed. But even though neither of them had bitten her, she caught some of the backlash from their joining. She couldn't help but bask in the warmth of knowing they did it not just for themselves but for her. To be with her. Because they loved her. And to think I wondered why any woman would agree to more than one lover. Toni was more than ready to let them claim her. She wanted to join them and belong to them and have them belong to her. Not because of any laws or protection, but because she wanted them. She loved them. I want them to be mine. Marc might have thought to tease her or shock her with his words of making her wetter, as if that could happen. Her pussy had never hummed so strongly or felt so slick. She crooked a finger, beckoning to them both. On to the bed they came, on their knees b
Thad drove the last leg to the compound in their borrowed car. A two-seat sports car, which meant Toni got to sit on Marc's lap. His naked lap. His naked lap with an erect cock poking at her backside. Something about prevailing against death and danger was arousing. Stimulating. Having a wet woman, whose scent drove him wild, who kept wiggling deliciously and casting him sultry glances, just added fuel to the fire stoking him. Thad must have felt some of the simmering energy because his fingers danced along her thigh, skirting the vee between her thighs and causing Toni's breath to catch. They couldn't get to the compound fast enough. Oddly enough, Toni, her voice breathy and soft, spoke in the erotically charged silence. "That was pretty intense back there." "If you mean fucking scary, then, yeah," Marc noted. He wasn't too macho to admit he'd feared. Especially for her. And there was a moment where I wondered if I'd end up a vampire puppet again. Thankfu
Okay, perhaps offering the warm heart to his comrades was perhaps not the sanest thing he'd ever done, but in Thaddeus's defense, it was considered quite the compliment in the vampire world, as it meant he was willing to share his power. With grimaces of distaste, Toni and Marc declined. Their loss. With a shrug, Thaddeus finished his treat, feeling his strength return and his wounds healing. Nothing like partaking of a master vampire's warm heart to give a boost to a weakened body. The skies chose that moment to release their moist bounty, a cool, fresh rain pelting them and cleansing the blood from their skin. But even clean, Thaddeus stood apart, watching as Marc held a shuddering Toni, a woman who'd unleashed her savage side and watched him eat another man's heart. What does she think of me now? Thaddeus wouldn't make excuses for what he was. He was a vampire. Eating the flesh of his enemies was a part of his life. A need. Although, in this case, he could have don
Despite the knock to her head, Toni understood they were in deep shit. Just one problem, she was too muddled to do anything about it. Through the ringing in her ears, she vaguely heard the word ambush and Thad's admonition to stay in the truck. Thing was staying in the truck wasn't a guarantee of protection. Evil lurked outside, and she could feel the nudge of it at the edge of her mind. Knock, knock. Who wants in? It wasn't Thaddeus. She knew his touch; it was gentle and not creepy. This mind probe reminded her more of Roderick's methods. Like a battering ram coated in slime. Someone on the impromptu battleground was trying to take over her mind. But who? Taking in deep breaths, she managed to calm the spinning in her head, enough so she could open her eyes without wanting to throw up. She wanted to shut them just as quickly. Chaos met her gaze. Despite the darkness, the one remaining headlight on the truck lit the surrounding area enough for her to see a nasty
Marc had only seconds to call upon his wolf, which meant bye-bye to yet another set of clothes. However, if he managed to get out of this ambush naked but alive, he'd count himself lucky. His initial estimate of half a dozen to the left proved accurate, but not so for the right. Marc only had a moment to realize Thad was going to get swarmed before his first ghoul attacked. Knowing what to expect this time, he didn't waste time grappling; he went for weak spots. Throat if he could reach it to tear it out. A close second was the legs. If they couldn't walk, it made them less of a threat. His strategy proved effective. While ghouls twitched on the ground and reached for him, he managed to keep to his four furry feet and cause some damage, enough that he felt the need to leave his group of ghouls and head to help Thaddeus, who was practically buried in them. He had to hand it to the old bloodsucker though. Thaddeus wasn't going down without a hell of a fight. Partway the
An hour or so later, they were on the road, the vehicle they borrowed not exactly luxurious, but the pickup truck in the garage, with the plow hooked to the front was less noticeable than Thaddeus's car with the torn hood and roof. Marc drove this leg of the trip, with Toni seated in the middle and Thaddeus on the other side. Cozy, but surprisingly pleasant. Thaddeus was still trying to come to terms with the speed at which his immortal life had changed. He'd gone from a boring and dull existence, where his primary amusement was stalking miscreants and taunting Morpheus, to embarking on a quest to save his kind, stop a war, oh, and get romantically involved with a woman and another man. Or at least the woman. The fact that she came with a hairy attachment he had yet to kill was something he still couldn't quite comprehend. I have never been one to keep pets. In times past, Thaddeus would have easily solved the dilemma by snapping a neck and claiming her for his own. He had
Wakening to one side of Toni, while Thad slumbered on the other, didn't freak Marc out as much as he feared. What began as a dislike and rivalry with the vampire had transitioned. He wouldn't exactly claim to like the guy, but he did have more respect for him and could now see him as a person instead of just a vampire. It also helped that Toni made it clear she wanted both of them, or neither of them. She wouldn't tolerate jealous bickering. Or, as she told them when they entered into a staring, growling match, "Behave, or I'll take my pussy and play with it myself." Nothing like the threat of no sex to calm them the fuck down. Then again, Marc wasn't serious about staking the bloodsucker and sticking him out in the sun for a tan, but a guy had to have some fun. Easing out of the bed, careful to let her eke out as many minutes of sleep as possible, Marc took first turn in the shower then headed off to scrounge up some breakfast. Within a half-hour, Toni arrived in the kitchen, he
This time Toni recognized the setting for what it was: a dream. I just wish I could choose a nicer location, say like a five-star resort. But no, her subconscious apparently harbored a sadistic side, and once again, she found herself in her dreary cell, wearing a gauzy nightgown trimmed with red hearts and ribbons. Ready for a loverÉor two. Unlike her last visit, this time the door to her prison was open. A shame, she'd quite enjoyed Thaddeus's appearance, and Marc's. They'd opened her eyes in this dreamscape to the possibilities, and now that they'd shown them to her, she had to wonder why she'd held back. But back to her dream. Why was she here? Was there something to be learned? Done? Only one way to find out. She strode from her former cell, the silence around her oppressive but not threatening. It seemed the fear she'd lived with for so long was losing its grip. Apparently eating some dead guy's ashes, kicking some ghoul butt, and then having the courage to take